Third Commandment
COMMANDMENTS
28 (III) those who received because of hardship will not face con demnation; but those who received out of hypocrisy will pay a penalty. 6. And so the one who gives is innocent. For as he was given a ministry from the Lord to complete, he has completed it in a simple way, having no doubts about to whom he should give or not give something. This ministry that is completed in a simple way becomes glorious before God, so that the one who ministers thus, in a simple way, will live to God. 7. And so guard this commandment as I have spoken it to you, that your repentance and that of your household may be found to be in simplicity—and pure, innocent, and blameless."
Third Commandment 28 (III) Then he spoke to me again, "Love the truth and let all truth come from your mouth, so that the spirit that God made to live in this flesh may be recognized as true by everyone; in this way the Lord who dwells in you will be glorified. For the Lord is true in his every word, and there is no lie in him. 2. And so, those who lie reject the Lord and defraud him, not handing over to him the deposit they received. For they received from him a spirit that does not lie; if they return it to him as a liar, they defile the com8 ώς . . . λβλάληκα S A L L E : ην O~OL έδωκα P
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S H E P H E R D OF HERMAS
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COMMANDMENTS
28 (III) mandment of the Lord and become defrauders." 3. When I heard these things, I wept bitterly. When he saw me weeping he asked, "Why are you weeping?" "Because,
Lord," I said, "I do not know if I can be saved." "Why?" he asked. "Because, Lord" I said, "I have never in my entire life spoken a true word, but have always lived craftily with everyone, and have portrayed my lie as truth to all. And no one has ever contradicted me, but has trusted my word.
How then, Lord," I asked, "can I live, having done such things?" 4. "Your thoughts are good and true," he said.
"For you should have been conducting yourself as a slave of God; and a wicked conscience should not have dwelt with the spirit of truth or brought grief to the reverend and true spirit." "Never," I replied, "have I heard such words so accurately." 5. "You are hearing them now," he said.
"Guard these matters so that the lies you spoke before in your daily life [Or: business affairs] may themselves be come trustworthy when these other words are found to be true. For even those other ones can become trustworthy. If you guard these matters and from now on speak only the truth, you will be able to give yourself life. And whoever hears this commandment and avoids lying most wickedly will live to God."